Winter 2018

Dance friends, life has been so full this past year! Becoming a mother has been the most amazing and all consuming experience. After a bit of maternity leave to heal and connect with this new aspect of life I stepped back into dance and yoga part-time (although really, one does not “punch a clock” in the realm of art).

One of my first performances post-baby was with the amazing Michelle Alany and The Mystics. This is a more recent video with them, but regardless, I have been enjoying dancing with them so much! Our next show will be February 3rd at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church in Portland, produced by Artichoke Music.

I am currently teaching Baksana classes on Sundays! We’re working on finger cymbals and our vocabulary! Students will be preparing for some spring time performances at community halfas and summer-time busking!

Baksana is also preparing for February Finger Cymbal Awareness Month! A few years back I wrote an essay on the importance of intentionality while playing cymbals when dancing. This year we’re taking it full steam ahead with online challenges and prizes to connect more with the community at large! Follow our instagram to join us on our journey.

This past summer, Baksana co-director Paul Evans and I finished writing and releasing a book on finger cymbal technique! This was a big feat for us, and we debuted it at JamballahNW with a wonderful group of students. The book is now available to purchase here: at our online store

and then in the fall with Arcana Music and Dance at the Northern California Renaissance Faire (left). These places (and people) hold a very special place in my heart. I love performing for the diverse audiences. Unsuspecting passers-by get a taste of belly dance culture and music they often weren’t expecting, and always come up to ask questions afterward. I love connecting with more historical roots, and being a part of a long lineage of dancers, especially at the Northern California Renaissance Faire that have inspired generations of movers and shakers. It’s wonderful to return year after year, and have many audience members do the same.

*Happy 2018 everyone!*
As always, I am available for Skype lessons, and in person private lessons if you’re in town. Contact me at Danielle.elizabeth.bellydance@gmail.com. You can follow my instagram for updates on shows and snippets of classes, performances, and inspiration throughout the year.